School heads in Zaka District, Masvingo Province, have said they are ready for opening schools as they will just need a week or two to finalise preparations before learners come.
The headmasters said this during a recent provincial tour by Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Cain Mathema to assess the state of preparedness of schools to offer face-to-face lessons that were suspended due to the COVID-19 third wave.
Chimedza Primary School school head Johannes Mucheki said they will be doing hot-sitting where pupils will be split between morning and afternoon sessions so as to decongest the school. He said:
We are ready if the President asks us to open the schools. We have supplies of most of the required PPEs that can take us for some time as we mobilise for more and if the government promises to help us with other requirements then we can open the schools.
Mutimwi Primary and Mutimwi High school heads said after managing to reopen following last year’s initial COVID-19 induced lockdown, they were now better equipped for another reopening.
The school heads at schools toured by Mathema said they had necessary literature on COVID-19 displayed at all vantage points at the schools, together with hand-washing facilities at entrance points, as well as sanitisers in all classes.
They also said they have sick bays ready to quarantine any suspected cases of COVID-19 in school premises, which they said would be in contact with the nearest health centres for assistance in cases of emergencies